


Hundreds of Stories

by GamblingDementor



Category: In the Heights - Miranda
Genre: F/M, Ficlet Collection, Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-01
Updated: 2018-07-04
Packaged: 2018-08-12 09:58:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 9,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7930342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GamblingDementor/pseuds/GamblingDementor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>Yeah, I'm a streetlight chilling in the heat. I illuminate the stories of the people in the street. Some have happy endings, some are bittersweet, but I know them all and that's what makes my life complete.  And if not me, who keeps their legacies?</em>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Collection of prompt fills from Tumblr (hamiltonandfluff, come say hi!). Updated as I write them, so keep on the look-out!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I shouldn't be in love with you. (Benny/Nina)

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks in advance for reading this! You're beautiful and I love you.
> 
> Chapters are titled this way: the prompt and the pairing in parentheses. Romantic pairings are written like this: Usnavi/Vanessa. Platonic pairings are written like this: Sonny & Vanessa.

 

 

The door to Usnavi's bodega opens and closes hundreds of times every morning and statistically, two of those are going to be Nina getting her pre-classes caffeine. Benny won't miss it. The door opens and his heart drums in expectation… but it's just Daniela and Carla who talk way too much Spanish for him to understand what they're saying. It's probably a private conversation anyways. Two cups of coffee, a pack of gums and they're gone, arm in arm.

 

False hopes every time, until the one time it's her. Thank God he's friends with Usnavi − he'd hate to have to come up with an excuse to stand around waiting for her if this was another bodega.

 

"Good morning!" The loveliest voice of all rings and Benny is struck all over again, every morning.

 

"Morning, Nina," Usnavi smiles, the little brat, and hands her her _café con leche_.

 

"Hey!" Benny waves like an idiot. _Who even waves inside a shop? You're looking stupid, man._ But Nina just smiles, sipping her coffee.

 

"You're early," Usnavi notes and Benny wants to strangle him. Nina is exactly on time if it means he got to see her.

 

"Tutoring Dana before classes," she explains. "Bright and early."

 

"You do tutoring? That's so cool!" Benny blurts out before his brain can give any input on whatever his mouth is spurting. "You're so smart."

 

"The smartest," Usnavi agrees.

 

"The only thing I can do is drive cars," Benny says. "I mean, if you want, I could give you driving lessons…"

 

"Don't let my dad catch you say that," she replies and there's teasing in her eyes, the wit of her always one step ahead.

 

Benny wants to punch himself. What is it about Nina that makes him act like a total fool? Well, he could pull up a list, starting with that smile right there…

 

"I'm so sorry, I just… Fuck."

 

Trust yourself to fuck it up. Now she's going to think you're a creep who hits on random girls and Mr Rosario is going to find a gun and shoot you dead.

 

"I mean, he taught me to drive. You'd be competition."

 

She leaves the bodega and Benny feels like he's been run over by one of Mr Rosario's cars.

 

"Driving lessons?" Usnavi smirks when the door closes with a ring.

 

"Oh, shut up, man."

 

"Isn't Nina like seventeen?"

 

"I'm not doing anything! And she's turning eighteen in three weeks."

 

"Counting the days, huh?"

 

 

Benny feels like a horrible creepy, but that's become familiar. He can't control his emotions, though he can control what he does with them. Nothing is gonna happen, not with Nina, who is so out of his league anyways. They're not even playing the same sport. He'll be happy to just get a smile and a hello in the morning if that's what he'll have. He takes his newspapers, his Milky Way and goes out to give his boss his second cup of coffee, hoping that Nina didn't tell on him and get him fired.


	2. Do you want me to leave? (Daniela & Carla)

Sometimes, Daniela wonders if she's the only person in the world who sees clearly. Or maybe it's just Carla who is that obtuse.

 

Jane comes for a manicure every week, even though she's poor, even though every week she comes back with half-bitten nails and the rest entirely cleared of nail polish. Every week, she asks if Carla would do her a cute design of her choice, something she likes. She won't have Daniela or Vanessa.

 

"Do you want me to leave?" Daniela asks.

 

Carla gives her those doe eyes that contain all the pure innocence of the world and says that she can't leave, it's her salon.

 

On rare occasions, Jane takes a shift at the bodega to take some burden off her nephew's shoulders and to give him and Sonny some rest. Daniela and Carla stop by every morning before hopping on the bus to the Bronx and every time it's the same scene all over again. Jane leans over the counter with the smile of a wolf jumping on its prey. Every pretext is found to compliment Carla one way or another. This is quite frankly embarrassing.

 

"Do you want me to leave?" Daniela asks.

 

Carla replies that yes, they should both get going to the salon before opening time so Vanessa doesn't have to do it alone.

 

They're watching some basketball game between the younglings. Usnavi and Benny are cheering on Sonny − next to them, Vanessa is busy watching Usnavi with fondness and only occasionally shouts some encouragement to Sonny, who really needs it. Basketball isn't really his natural advantage. Jane, who loves her son, cherishes him more than anything in the world, who does everything for him, only has eyes for Carla. Stuck between them, Daniela is more than a little tired of Jane's attempts at scoring.

 

"Do you want me to leave?" Daniela asks.

 

Carla begs her not to go because Sonny needs all the encouragement they can give him.

 

No one does movie nights like Carla. All the best snacks, a comfortable couch, even a little bit of booze. All the girls are invited and these days, that includes Jane. She picked one of the movies today: "Imagine Me and You". Of course. _Of course._ Vanessa and Nina sit on the floor but fall asleep at some point through the second movie. On the couch, Jane is getting fidgety. She stretches her arms over her head and Daniela doesn't miss the way Carla's eyes dart to the revealed mid-riff or the fact that Jane wraps her arm right across Carla's shoulders.

 

"Do you want me to leave?" Daniela asks.

 

Before Carla can even open her mouth to open to stay, Jane cuts her with an exasperated " _Yes please_ ".

 

Every once in a while, Daniela treats her girls to dinner together. Today, Vanessa bailed on them − there is no controlling this girl anymore since she's got her own place and her own personal cook at home. Daniela lets Carla pick the place and _of course_ she chooses the restaurant Jane waits at. The sparkle of her smile when she sees Carla is adorable. She joins them as soon as they've sat down, looking at Carla like she's as pretty as her Caribbean island.

 

"Do you want me to leave?" Daniela asks.

 

Carla shakes her head, but there's nothing naive about it tonight.

 

"No," she answers. "My girlfriend is joining us tonight."

 


	3. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were trying to seduce me. (Vanessa & Sonny)

 

"You look absolutely ravishing tonight," Sonny whispers against Vanessa's ear.

 

His hand on her waist is barely brushing against her, as if he was afraid of touching her. They've been dancing for what seems like hours. Everyone agreed on it. Usnavi took her first dance but Sonny is the much, much better dancer and Vanessa naturally fell into his arms by the second dance, and she just hasn't left. The party is only just starting, the sun still up in the sky and she's not going home until the soles at her feet are poked with holes from the dancing.

 

"Shut up," she snorts.

 

He leads. She's not used to it, not with Usnavi, but there are many things she'll have to become used to after tonight.

 

"Seriously," he repeats. "All eyes are on you."

 

"You bet they are," she replies. "This dress looks awesome."

 

"It does," he agrees. "But _you_ look drop dead gorgeous."

 

She probably does, truth be told. Camila fixed the dress for her. A bit more modest than what Vanessa asked for, maybe. She specifically required for her boobs to pop out, but that just hasn't happened. Too bad. The cut is still very flattering and her shawl is lovely, the one that used to belong to Abuela Claudia's mom, and all eyes _are_ on her. She let Daniela do her make-up, Carla her hair, and she looked stunning in the bathroom this morning, if a bit nervous. Or a lot.

 

"Did Usnavi tell you to butter me up?" She teases.

 

The smile won't leave her face, not today. Today is her day.

 

"He didn't need to, I can do it all on my own."

 

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were trying to seduce me."

 

Sonny laughs openly, making her take a sharp turn, the dance slow paced and just perfect as it is. Everything seems to be. From her table, Nina gives Vanessa a big grin and a wave, which Vanessa gives back. Maybe she'll try and convince her to come dance later.

 

"I'm just saying," he says. "You look lovely and very happy. No seducing here."

 

"Good. It'd be a shame to break your cousin's heat right now."

 

"My cousin's heart is in very good hands," Sonny smiles and she kisses his cheek. She does love this boy so very much, the little cousin she gained in this whole package.

 

" _Atención_ everyone," Benny says into the mic − who chose to make him a DJ again? Certainly not her. "The next song is _hot hot hot_. Can our precious couple show us their burning love on the dance floor?"

 

 

Vanessa laughs, but still lets go of Sonny to find her blushing groom who deserves another dance to show everyone how it's done.


	4. I don’t want to think about what I’d be like without you. (Vanessa/Usnavi)

There was a moment every night was date night. Maybe Vanessa wanted to _really_ be convinced Usnavi was staying for good and wouldn't let go of him. Maybe Usnavi had waited long enough and didn't want to waste their time together now that they were a thing. Nowadays, they see a lot of each other, but calling it a date would be stretching. They mostly hang out at her place. Usnavi is a homebody, always much happier at home behind a stove cooking her up something good than out there in the wild world.

 

He indulged her in a night at the club tonight, though. His dancing is getting… slightly less horrible. He paid for the drinks, because he always does nowadays, with sixty-two grands in his pocket. He did say he'd spend a few on her. Then the dancing began and there, Vanessa is the master. They're a bit tipsy when they stumble back at her place, and all sore feet from being up all night. Vanessa doesn't want to think about how she'll fare tomorrow at work. Daniela has very little respect for hangovers.

 

"You were just… wow. Just so hot," he insists.

 

He's had quite a bit more to drink than her, he usually does. Says it takes the edge off, makes him slip into a state of mind where he can just _do it_. Just dance. She secretly loves it because drunk Usnavi is also very demonstrative and showers her with compliments every time. Who says she isn't allowed to enjoy these things? He's her boyfriend. That's what he's supposed to do, when he finds the courage in him, usually after two drinks.

 

"You were adorable," she says, pinching his cheek.

 

They've crashed onto her couch and he's already almost out of it, his head on her lap.

 

"The way you danced, it was so…"

 

He looks up at her through thick eyelashes. Vanessa might never get used to that, the way he stares at her. Sure, she's often been a center of attention at the club, but that was the club, nights of dancing and taking the prettiest dancer back to her place. This is something else. She takes Usnavi home every night and doesn't get bored of him. She's starting to think she might never get bored of him.

 

"You weren't bad yourself," she says with a smile, fingers combing through his hair. He's all sweaty but it's alright, so is she, he gave her everything he had tonight.

 

"You taught me real good," he replies, finding her hand, pressing a kiss onto it.

 

"I needed a regular dance partner," she says, but he knows what she means, he always does nowadays. He's learned to get to know her. "Can't dance without a partner. You needed to learn."

 

"I don't want to think about what I'd be like without you."

 

"You'd still dance with Benny," she teases.

 

He snorts. Something in his eyes that always glints when they're like this at night. The afterglow of a good dancing. He plays with her fingers, kissing them one at a time.

 

"D'you wanna… maybe we could?"

 

 

He's trying to be seductive, but as with dancing, she's the expert there and she's in charge. And this isn't happening when he's had more to drink than her. So she just kisses him silent and gets back to just gazing into each other's eyes, stroking his hair. He's sleeping before long and as she disentangles herself from his mess of limbs and covers him with a blanket, she asks herself what she would be like without this, without him, without this place she got thanks to him in the first place. Then she stops thinking about it, because it all _did happen_ , and best enjoy it as long as it lasts.


	5. Are you still awake? (Sonny & Usnavi)

 

 

"Do bees know we love them?"

 

Usnavi tosses around, resolutely facing the wall, away from Sonny. He is not going to engage. That should work, right? Just pretend he's sleeping and maybe inspire Sonny to do the same, or at the very least to keep his mouth shut. He's a little boy. Aren't kids supposed to be tired at…

 

"You looked at the time, I know you're not sleeping!"

 

Fatal mistake.

 

"It's eleven at night, go to sleep!"

 

"I can't!" Sonny sighs dramatically, his hand on his forehead in an exaggerated gesture.

 

" _Al menos cállate_ ," Usnavi orders and turns back around.

 

Sonny is _impossible_. Doesn't he know that Usnavi needs his rest? He's not a little child anymore, not like Sonny, playing around with his friends from elementary. Usnavi is an adult now, a shop owner, and he'll be turning seventeen. He doesn't have time to think about bees.

 

"Because we don't _appreciate_ them, stealin' their honeys and everything. But we love them."

 

_Paciencia y fe_ , Usnavi thinks, taking a big breath to calm down and try to get in the state where he might just begin to be able to fall asleep. But he can't, not with Sonny's eyes piercing through the back of his neck − he can feel them. And he's facing the wrong way too, he likes to face left when he's trying to sleep, but Sonny robbed him of that option. _Why did Abuela agree to let Sonny sleep over tonight?_

 

And he doesn't even stop at bees. Every topic becomes a part of his repertory, from the best sort of Kool-Aid to Abuela's aprons, as well as a whole long time about Nina and wondering if he'll still see her a lot when she starts middle school next year, some more about dinosaurs and cars and the best day of the week and the more he goes on, the more Usnavi wonders if he could in fact just fall asleep to his cousin's blabbering as a lullaby. He turns on his left side, makes himself comfortable, tries to clear his mind.

 

"Pshh!" Sonny whispers so loud Usnavi fears he might wake up Abuela Claudia. "Are you still awake?"

 

"No," Usnavi grunts, his eyes squeezed shut.

 

"Please, just one more minute!" Sonny begs.

 

"What?"

 

"Just, don't fall asleep, you can't sleep."

 

"I'll do what I want," Usnavi grumbles.

 

Sonny starts counting the seconds and Usnavi is about to tell him to shut it once and for all or he'll tell on him to Tía Jane, when suddenly Sonny hops onto his bed and wraps himself around him.

 

"¡FELIZ CUMPLEAÑOS!"

 

"Mmh?"

 

"We're tomorrow! It's your birthday!"

 

Usnavi wants to be mad at Sonny for keeping him up for such a silly reason, but he can't find it in him to actually scold him when he's hugging him so tight as if this life depended on it.

 

"So you thought I shouldn't sleep on my birthday, huh?"

 

"I wanted to be the first one to wish you a happy birthday! Abuela is always the first."

 

He pats Sonny's head awkwardly, wondering if it was really worth it. Maybe in the mind of a nine year old, it is.

 

"I'ma be tired tomorrow," he sighs.

 

"You can sleep as long as you like, Mamá's keeping the bodega."

 

" _¿De verdad?_ "

 

Sonny nods.

 

"And Abuela's taking us to the movies tomorrow."

 

"Alright."

 

"And I wanna see The Incredibles."

 

"It's _my_ birthday," Usnavi points out.

 

"Yes, but I'm your favorite cousin, and this movie sounds super cool."

 

"Shh," Usnavi says, rubbing Sonny's back. "Now, _dormimos_."

 

 

Of course it's mission impossible to try and reign in Sonny's talking, but at least Sonny has the decency to whisper now, talking about everything they're going to do as soon as they wake up, and Usnavi slowly falls asleep to his cousin's excited voice. Tomorrow seems like a nice day to wake up to.


	6. I had a nightmare about you and I just wanted to make sure you’re okay. (Nina/Benny)

 

Nina wouldn't say that her second attempt at Stanford is a complete breeze of fresh air, but it's certainly a whole new set of pressure she puts on herself, down by a large margin compared to last year. She can take a big breath and just sit down and work. This is where she shines at, so that works out great.

 

In a way, she hopes to stay in school all her life, where all the learning happens, where all the young minds of the country like her gather to fill their heads with the magic of textbooks and lectures and be immersed in the highest of knowledge. She can pick and choose the best classes this year, and not worry about making them fit with her work shifts. She can choose the most complex essay prompt if it's also the most interesting. She can even find some time for some light reading.

 

Her phone buzzes beside her on the desk.

 

"Hey, Bunny," she smiles, whispering so she doesn't make too much noise for the surrounding rooms − her roommate is out again, thank god.

 

She can also find time for Benny now. And her roommate teases her endlessly about it.

 

"Hey, sweetheart."

 

His voice is raspy, like he's just woken up. She checks the time on the wall clock: it's past 1 am in New York.

 

"Aren't you sleeping?" She asks. "You didn't put your alarm to talk to me at night again, did you? You know it's not worth it…"

 

"No, I… I just wanted to hear your voice."

 

"Awww."

 

"You're fine, right?"

 

That is an odd way of asking "How are you?" if she's ever heard one.

 

"I'm… fine, yeah, how about you?" She frowns.

 

"Great, great…"

 

He's silent in a way he never is, not on the phone. They talk every other day and yet he never runs out of things to say. But then again, he usually calls at a much more decent time, usually just after her classes.

 

"Bunny, are you alright?"

 

"You just asked that."

 

"I know, I mean, is something wrong?"

 

"This is stupid," he says, but sighs resolutely. “I had a nightmare about you and I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.”

 

"Oh," she says, surprised. "Well I'm totally fine…"

 

He doesn't really reply, instead breathes out in relief.

 

"Do you wanna… talk about it?"

 

"No," he replies immediately, almost harshly. "No, I'm sorry, just… I think I should just forget about it and try to go back to sleep."

 

"Sounds like a plan," she says, smiling.

 

"Do you think you could… Nah, it's dumb, good night, Nina."

 

"Wait, what were you going to ask?"

 

"Okay, so don't make fun of me, alright?"

 

She already feels a smile tugging at her lips, but she would _never_ dare tease her Benny, never. Except if he really deserves it.

 

"Can you, erm, talk to me till I fall asleep?"

 

"Of course," she promises.

 

 

They'll have all the time to talk for real some other day. It _is_ late for Benny after all. So she just talks, about her classes, about her friends, about California, the beaches, about home, and it's not long at all until she hears Benny's quiet breath get slower and deeper as he falls asleep. And damn her, but she keep the call going probably longer than she ought to, even after he's fallen asleep. Only a few short weeks till he makes his way to California and she doesn't have to settle for phone calls anymore. She can't wait.


	7. I'm not going to apologize for this. Not anymore. (Sonny & Vanessa)

“Hey cuz, d'you have any flour? Pete and I wanna test out if… OH MY GOD, AGAIN!”

Vanessa grunts. This _cannot_ keep happening. Slowly, reluctantly, she sits up, buttoning up her top again while Usnavi frantically does the same to his shirt from under her.

“Sonny, you can’t keep doing this,” she sighs.

“ _I_ can't… ?! _You_ were the ones making out on the couch like animals again!”

Usnavi pushes on her thighs, tries to be subtle about it. His cheeks radiate pure heat, redder than that party dress of hers he likes. She gets off him at his request and he makes himself presentable again, dusting himself off, protecting his dear virtue.

“It was _just_ kissing,” Vanessa sighs. “You need to grow up, Son’.”

“ _Excuse you_ , I am _a child_ , I don’t need to be subjected to your… revolting smut…”

Beside her, Usnavi is holding a pillow on his lap. So subtle, this boy. _No one is ever gonna guess what_ that’s _supposed to hide_. Vanessa takes his hand − it’s all sweaty and shaking. Usnavi hates these interruptions. Not that Vanessa is a fan, but she handles them better than him, at least with Sonny. Usnavi just freezes into place and stops responding.

“Okay, you know what,” she says, sitting up straighter and staring down Sonny, who has sat down in the opposite armchair, as far away from them as he can while still being in the room. “You and I are gonna have a little conversation. Right, baby?”

“Erm… _Claro_. Go ahead.”

Vanessa nods at him. If Sonny is going to act like a child, then he’s going to be treated like a child.

“You know, sometimes, when two people love each other very much…”

Usnavi’s blush gets even deeper at the mention of love. Sonny raises an eyebrow.

“… Then we want to show that to the other person by kissing. You know, by putting our mouth on each other? Like bees sharing honey. Except saliva.”

“ _Que bruto_ …” Sonny mutters, rolling his eyes. “I know what kissing is!”

“Then you need to stop freaking out about it!” Vanessa retorts. “It’s not like you caught us with our pants down or something.”

“Not _this_ time,” Sonny mumbles.

“Point being,” Vanessa goes on, ignoring that interruption. “We ain’t gonna stop kissing in Usnavi’s own house.”

Sonny grumbles, not quite looking at them.

“Look, Sonny, I’m sorry…” Usnavi starts, of course. Always the sweetheart.

“ _I’m not_ ,” Vanessa says. “I’m not going to apologize for this. Not anymore. He doesn’t even live here!”

“You don’t live here either!”

“I’m his _girlfriend_.”

“I’m his _cousin_.”

“Oy!” Usnavi cries out. “I should get to pick who’s right.”

Sonny and Vanessa both turn to him. Sonny gives him the puppiest puppy eyes and Vanessa fears to be at a disadvantage. She pops the top button of her shirt open and Usnavi’s eyes are immediately dragged down. Always the trump card against Sonny.

“Alright, Sonny, get out,” Usnavi says, already leaning into Vanessa.

Sonny stares for a few seconds before shaking himself out of it, getting up as fast as he can before the show begins again.

“See you later, Son’!” Vanessa calls out right before he slams the door. Then she enjoys her victory.


	8. I don't care what they said, it doesn't mean shit! (Vanessa & Sonny)

The banging on the door starts as suddenly as it stops, with Vanessa pulling the door open. Vanessa was about to go meet up with friends and expects to find them pestering her about being late when she opens the door. Instead she finds a distressed Sonny panting and…

“Shit, are you bleeding?!”

“Hit my head cause I wasn’t looking where I was going,” he says. “Can I… please?”

He gestures to enter her place and of course, she lets him in,  _of course_. Her mom is out for the night − not outside, just fell asleep in her drinks, out like a light. Vanessa didn’t carry her to bed. She’s stopped doing that a while ago.

“Sit,” she tells Sonny once they’re in the kitchen.

She gets a wipe and cleans the blood of his brow and slowly, his breathing starts to even out. He looks so small and scared. He  _is_  small, she guesses. Just turned twelve a few weeks ago. He’s still a little boy.

“You gonna tell me why you show up at my door looking like you saw a ghost?”

Sonny won’t look at her, his legs dangling from up on the kitchen stool. He doesn’t answer. Vanessa isn’t the best with this, supporting people or whatever, she’s not equipped to handle emotions, especially other people’s. Yet when Sonny grabs her waist and demands a tight hug, she gives it to him. She’s not a monster and if this kid needs help, she’s there for him.

“There, there,” she pats his back. “You’re with your old Vanessa now.”

“They were gonna beat me up,” he says against her chest.

“What?! Who were gonna beat you up?!”

“Ya know,” he gestures vaguely.

She lets go of him to stare into his eyes. He's… lost, and sad, and scared. She kisses his cheek and grabs his face between her hands.

“Whoever wanted to do that,” she promises. “Imma beat the shit out of them.”

He nods awkwardly. He’s still shaking and she shoves a cup into his hand, tries to find coffee, but they don’t have any, so she just pours him some coke.

“What even happened?” She asks.

“Well, ya know, middle school is bigger than elementary, and some of them didn’t know…”

“ _Oh_.”

On the block, most everyone who was there six years ago knows that Sonny refused to be called Sonia and to be called a girl and made it known loud and clear he was a boy. Vanessa thinks nothing of it. She likes this boy with the ridiculous cousin and the goofy hats and he’s awesome  _just as he is_.

“They found out,” he sighs and sets the cup aside. “A few of them wanted to beat me up and I just ran as fast as I could, and your place was closest, I’m sorry…”

“Yo, Son’, you don’t have to be sorry, alright?”

She gives him another hug for good measure, holding him as tight as she can.

“I hate this,” he says. “I hate that I can’t just… just  _be_. They said…”

“I don’t care what they said,” Vanessa cuts him. “It doesn’t mean shit! You’re awesome and I’m going to beat them up first thing I do tomorrow, I swear.”

He nods against her and feels so much smaller than a twelve-year-old.

“Can I call my mom?” He asks timidly.

“Oh shit, sure, yeah!”

She hands him the phone and the conversation in Spanish that ensues is vastly too fast for her to follow. Damn Dominicans.

“She gon’ pick me up from here,” he says.

“You gonna be alright?” She asks, a hand on his shoulder.

He nods and grabs the cup of coke back, taking a long sip. He looks calmer. She really is going to follow through with the threats against these idiots, though. First thing in the morning. Until then, get Sonny safely home. His mom arrives a while later, shorter than you’d think judging by how much farther Vanessa lives from the block, but if someone is more protective of Sonny than anybody else in the world, it’s his mom.

After much fussing and thanking Vanessa, Jane finally leaves, her hand around Sonny’s waist protectively. And Vanessa realizes she’s far too late for her date with friends. So be it. She’s kept her priorities in order.


	9. I'm not losing you again. (Nina/Benny)

Benny’s hands are firm around Nina’s waist, not letting her go even if she wanted to. She really doesn’t want him to let go, not during this mess of a night, but they’re a little bit too tight. She needs him, but she also needs breathing.

“I’m not running away, alright,” she teases, hands on his, trying to get him to loosen his grasp. “No need for a vice like that.”

He smiles against her neck − she feels it, can’t see a thing in the blackout, the big weight of his body behind her a solid reassurance − and relaxes his hands, still on her, as if in fear that if he dropped them even one second, they’d be scattered apart in the crowd again, forever.

“I am not losing you again,” he says, kisses following his words on her skin.

“You’re not,” she promises. “Never again.”

They both know where they’re going. Benny’s place is the only thing Nina dreams of right now. Fireworks still going in the sky, but they’ve made their show there under the barrio’s eyes and it’s time for a private show of their own, lighting up all sorts of fires. They’re walking, but also hugging, and Nina wants to giggle every step of the way. How ridiculous they must look. How little she cares.

“It’s not much farther, is it?” She asks.

“Almost there,” he says and instinctively, his hands tighten again.

She lets them this time. He never lets go of her all night, not when they’re home and he’s making her see the stars, not once. They hold hands going to sleep. They’ve both found each other now and she is never losing him again. She listens to the calm sound of his breathing and falls asleep, feeling more at home than she ever has.


	10. Teach me? (Daniela & Carla)

It takes one frightened glance to intrigue Daniela, two to annoy her, three to upset her.

“ _Mija_ , don’t stare at me like a fried cod, get to work or ask your pregunta.”

Carla gasps and immediately pretends to get busy. It only takes four manicures and two haircuts’ time for her to confess what’s on her heart.

“I have a date tonight,” she whispers, cautiously checking if Vanessa is listening in − Vanessa is working, of course, earning every dime Daniela pays her.

“ _No me diga_ ,” Daniela comments. “Who’s the lucky girl?”

Carla was pretending to sort the nail polish flasks but she drops a few. She dives to pick them up and when she stands back up, she’s as red as a lobster.

“Who told you… It’s not… It’s a guy! It’s totally a guy!”

“Mmh, of course it is.”

“It’s definitely a guy.”

One day, Carla will just admit to Daniela that men just aren’t part of her future. Until then, Dani will keep the charade going if she has to.

“What do I… What do I do?” Carla asks.

“You’re asking me?”

“ _Ya lo se_ ,” Carla says in a hurry. “Dates aren’t your thing, but you… you’re confident, right? I mean, you look like you are. You’re just  _yourself_.”

“Couldn’t be someone else if I tried.”

Carla stops her cleaning up, looking straight at Daniela like a scared doe.

“Teach me?”

 _This girl will be the death of me_ , Daniela thinks. She never wanted kids in her life and yet this Jesus saw fit to send her this little fidgety lobster. She beckons Carla closer, wraps an arm around her shoulder.

“Carlita, let me tell you something.”

“Yeah?”

“You can never be confident like me.”

Carla’s face falls. Daniela winces. Wrong wording.

“You can only be confident as yourself. Be the best Carla you can be and she’ll love you.”

“It’s a man!” Carla squeaks. “I told you it’s a man.”

“Right.”

Daniela rubs her back affectionately as Carla seems to process it all.

“So I just have to be… myself? Will that be good enough? I’m not like you…”

“ _Mija_ , if that’s not good enough for that… person, then I’ll find bochinche on them and the whole barrio will know if they have crabs.”

Carla giggles and seems a lot less stressed all of a sudden.

“Alright, thanks Dani!”

She goes back to work with a smile on her lips and if that kind of angel is not enough for whoever Carla is going out with, then Dani doesn’t know what’s what in this barrio.


	11. You can't die. Please don't die. (Sonny & Vanessa)

“You can’t die,” Sonny begs Vanessa. “Please don’t die.”

“I’m  _trying_ , okay!” She groans.

All eyes in the room are on her, Sonny’s most ardently of all. He’s starting to lose hope, watching the way her mouth opens helplessly, her fingers shaking, all muscles of her body tightening and eventually letting go with a sigh.

“I’m dead,” she announces.

A cheer from the other side of the room and Sonny crashes back into the couch, where he’d been on the edge of the seat, and rubs his eyes in despair. This had been such a close call up until now…

“Alright, and the winners of tonight’s super hype super awesome Super Mario contest are… USNAVI AND BENNYYYYY!” Benny shouts, his arm heavy around Usnavi’s shoulders.

Vanessa grunts, shoving the DS back into Benny’s hands.

“Nooooooo!” Sonny whines. “I  _trusted_  you, Van.”

“I hate this as much as you do,” she spits out.

Benny and Usnavi do a small victory dance that makes them look even stupider. Sonny growls and crosses his arms, hands tucked under his armpits. Next to him, Vanessa doing exactly the same. Usnavi stops dead in his tracks and seems to hesitate who to reach out to − Benny makes the choice for him and comes to sit next to Sonny, pulling him into his side.

“C'mon, little buddy, next video game night you can choose the best partner and win, I’ll let you be my second.”

“Fuck you, Benny,” Vanessa says. “I’m the best, you cheated.”

Usnavi sits on the other end of the couch as well and whispers something into Vanessa’s ear that makes her frown clear up little by little, until she’s eventually leaning her head against him lovingly, a smile on her lips. Sonny feels his heart tug. He shouldn’t be so invested in his cousin’s relationship, and yet here he is, already an old lady marveling at how happy her two idiot kids are.

“Alright,” Vanessa says. “Next time, Usnavi and me will beat you up.”

“Right now if you’re up for it,” Benny offers, smug grin on his face.

Vanessa and Usnavi glance at each other and both shake their head.

“Both of you get out,” Vanessa says. “Usnavi and I are competing against each other now.”

“I wanna see that!” Sonny retorts, but Vanessa gives him The Eyes that he’s got to know by now and he understands. “A'ight, I be going then…”

“What? Why we gotta leave?” Benny asks.

“Trust me,” Sonny replies. “You don’t wanna be there when whoever it is who ends up winning gets their reward for their victory…”

Benny is out of the door even faster than Sonny.


	12. Have I ever lied to you? (Daniela & Benny)

Benny winces − _again_. Daniela is being too harsh on him. Does she think that just because he's a guy, his skin can't be fragile? Because it is.

 

"Dani, you're _hurting_ me."

 

"Shh," she pats his head. "It takes suffering to be beautiful."

 

"It was _your_ idea in the first place," Benny grumbles, but lets her keep working.

 

He is either going to walk out of here a changed man, or a laughing stock. Most likely the latter one. If she thinks he can't see Carla and Vanessa giggling in the corner…

 

"None of this is any good," he says, staring at the mirror in front of him and she almost hides her smirk perfectly, but there is still that tiny hint of it behind her closed lips.

 

"I told you this was going to change your life," she says. "Have I ever lied to you?"

 

" _Constantly_ ," he sighs. "You're lucky Nina's not coming back for another six weeks."

 

"Oh, Nina will hear about this alright," Vanessa snickers and that's it, last straw, camel's back is broken, Benny is done.

 

He stands up and tries to leave, but Daniela grabs him back by the arm.

 

"Sit back, I'm not done."

 

Her voice doesn't allow "no" for an answer, so Benny, who is tall and likes to think he's pretty strong, sits back down like a little boy and lets Daniela work on his face again, a pout his only weapon. And little by little, he feels like he's losing a part of himself. He literally is, every time those tweezers get near his beautiful brows.

 

"You're looking handsome," Vanessa laughs, snapping a picture of him when Daniela finally allows him out of this lair of hell. "This goes straight to Nina's inbox."

 

"Screw this, dude," he grunts at her, throws a few dollars Daniela's way because he may be unhappy with the result, but every worker should get their due. "This was a mistake."

 

He leaves the salon and goes straight home − can't risk having his drivers see this mess, not that it'll be gone tomorrow. A fake break-up text from Nina, followed by lots of hearts and apologies, convinces him that he should never leave his apartment again.

 

The next morning, an hour in front of the bathroom mirror does no good whatsoever, so he decides to take the day off. Another ridiculous morning and he realizes getting out of home in this state is going to be inevitable. The second he walks into the bodega to grab the newspapers and a snack, Usnavi bursts out laughing and Benny dashes out in shame.

 

 

At least plucked eyebrows grow back.


	13. I fell in love with my best friend (Vanessa & Sonny)

There are things Usnavi just doesn't get. To his credit, he tries, he tries so hard, and sometimes it lands him and sometimes not. Sonny has learned to expect nothing and be grateful for anything he gets from his cousin, or anyone.

 

So what if Usnavi caught him kissing Pete the other day? Sure, Sonny was waiting for a better time to come out and this was far from ideal, but at least Usnavi wasn't violent. He wasn't even angry. He wasn't anything, maybe embarrassed or surprised, but he also didn't talked to Sonny for two days. It's just… awkward, even now that they've talked about it a bit. They had that weird conversation where Vanessa tried to mediate between them, admitting to Sonny that she was bi, and apparently Usnavi is fine with it, but to Sonny, those are two completely different situations. Who knows if Usnavi isn't simply saying he's fine with it for Vanessa because he finds it hot, who knows if it comes from a place of real acceptance? Who knows if it really applies to Sonny as well?

 

Sonny rides downtown to spend the night with Vanessa − rarely, she invites him over without his nerd of a cousin, just the two of them. Sonny enjoys these nights tremendously, not that he tells Usnavi about them.

 

"Yo, munchkin," Vanessa greets him, messing with his hair.

 

He's just a couple years younger than her, technically, but he supposes that, as an adult with a job and her own place, she's a big step ahead in life and can safely tease him about being a kid.

 

She's ordered pizza − safe and easy. They crash onto her couch but instead of turning on the TV to whatever game might be on (neither of them particularly like sports but it passes time, and they usually chat over it anyways), she turns to him and, with a stiffness to her, something that's from the heart but not instinctive, she pats his shoulder and wraps a friendly arm around him in a tight side hug.

 

"So, did Usnavi behave?"

 

He snorts.

 

"He's still being weird, I guess," she says.

 

He nods.

 

"Yesterday there was a box of condoms on my bed at Usnavi's, like, we're not even… It's not like…"

 

"Aww, you're still pure," she teases him.

 

"I'll still be pure even after we… I mean, if we do it!" He pouts.

 

She chuckles and gets herself a slice of pizza.

 

"He'll come around," she says, swallowing a big chunk − Sonny wonders if she eats this messy around Usnavi. She probably does. They've been together a while, they've probably reached the gross part. "He was just surprised."

 

"Well, that's his fault," Sonny frowns. "He shouldn't have assumed in the first place."

 

"I know!" She says apologetically. Sighs. "God, I know."

 

"I mean, I didn't really know before either, I just…"

 

"You just what?"

 

"I fell in love with my best friend. And it didn't made a difference that he's a boy, even after I'd been in love with, ya know…"

 

"Some girl named Nina, yeah, I know," she says, nudging him. "Heard she's a big nerd, you're better off with Pete."

 

He laughs genuinely for the first time in a few days. Feels good.

 

"Well, I'm happy with him. I think."

 

She smiles at him and he feels such a surge of affection towards her, feels so accepted when she looks at him like that. Can't wait for the day Usnavi gives him that kind of smile too.

 

"Then it's all that matters. I'll punch Usnavi next time he's weird about it. Or withdraw blowjobs, that'd kill him, did you know that he's really into…"

 

"OKAY, that is the last thing I wanna hear about," he interrupts and shoves some pizza in her mouth to shut her up. "God! We _just_ covered that I'm pure!"

 

She laughs, but takes the pizza and doesn't strip Sonny off of his virtue any more.

 

"In any case, I'm proud of you," she says, and she's not looking at him for this so he knows it must be sincere − she hates to look people in the eye when she's being sincere.

 

 

She was right, thank God she was. Usnavi does come around. And she didn't even have to punch him in the face once.


	14. Nobody can trust me to do anything important! (Sonny & Vanessa)

What Usnavi doesn't know can't hurt him. Vanessa doesn't believe that, not really, but that doesn't mean she'll rush to tell him about every little thing that is bound to get him all worked up, the little worry wart she got herself as a boyfriend. Some secrets are meant with kindness.

"This stays between us," Sonny urges her as soon as she answers his call. "Don't tell Usnavi."

Vanessa pauses, already feeling a smirk at her mouth, but then she hears the giggle of Nina's little girl and Sonny snaps.

"Claudita, _NO_! Don't put that in your mouth!" He shrieks, then lets out a deep defeated sigh and talks to Vanessa again. "Look, can you come?"

"Why the hell is Claudia with you?"

"Nina and Benny are at that tantric retreat thing, you know? I didn't ask for details, it kinda sounded like a sex thing…"

_It totally is_ , Vanessa knows, but that's not for Sonny to hear.

"Yeah, _I know that._ I mean I though the kids were at Camila and Kevin's?"

"So, erm, about that…" Sonny says and Vanessa is quite sure she's hearing the distant wailing of baby Daniel and, much closer, the sound of something breaking. "Fuck… No, don't you repeat that, oh my god! Vanessa, save me and don't tell Usnavi!"

There are secrets, small secrets that threaten to turn into big ones, that Vanessa has to keep for Usnavi's peace of mind. She shoots him a text to not come downtown tonight after closing his shop because she's going out with friends and hops on a train to Sonny's little apartment, hoping Usnavi isn't in for a casual secret visit to his favorite cousin. Thank god they still haven't made his move into her studio completely official and he still spends some nights at Abuela's old place. She's half minded to send Nina a text just in case but keeps that decision hanging until she's observed the situation.

Sonny opens the door like she's a long lost relative found again after ten years. He almost pulls her into a hug but then keeps her at arm's distance. Seeing some stain on his shoulder that looks suspiciously like baby puke, she's glad for the consideration.

"What the hell, dude?"

From far into the apartment, she hears Pete sigh in relief.

"She's here!" Sonny shouts back at him and without further comment, shoves Vanessa in. "Vanessa's here!"

"Fricking thank God!" Pete shouts back from the other room.

The apartment has never been more of a mess, which is saying something. The storm that are Nina's little ones has taken its toll and it shows. The floor is littered with toys and blankets, all sorts of books pulled from the shelves and lying everywhere, as if Claudia couldn't decide which one to look at. There's a dirty blanket on the sofa that she's not sure she even wants to know the history of and what bodily fluids it is soaked with. The kitchen corner is covered in food stains, there's an annoying beep of the microwave where she sees Claudia's bottle, and of course, the center of this spectacle, the girl herself is jumping up and down on the coffee table, completely naked. Vanessa breathes in deeply.

"You," she tells Claudia, first things first, "need to wear your PJs right now, Miss."

It's a dirty mess they've made here, and an even dirtier one to clean. While Sonny grabs a shower − and god knows he needs one −, Vanessa handles it all, grimy as it is. Putting clothes on this damned kid, calming her down (she's certain the boys must have given her at least a dozen pieces of candy, however vehemently they deny it), finding her favorite toy, the fluffy elephant Usnavi gave her when she was born (who put it on top of the fridge?), giving her all the cuddles while she drinks her bottle before bed, putting her to fucking sleep. She makes a fuss of going to sleep, of course, which makes her brother cry all the louder − that baby is a fucking powerhouse. They change his diaper three times in the short time she's here. In the end, Pete has to lie down with Claudia because she can't fall asleep without cuddles either and Vanessa hates Nina for all her dumb attachment parenting shit more than anyone in the world right now. Another word for raising snuggle addicts. When she checks the time, it's been a couple hours since she arrived, and yet it feels like as many weeks. Pete has fallen asleep next to Claudia and Daniel is sleeping peacefully in the crib. They're so much cuter when they're not awake.

"Dude, you saved my life," Sonny says before crashing face first into the couch.

She snorts silently and starts to pick up the toys. Usnavi rubbed off on her a little in all the years they've been together and she can't stand messes nearly as much as she used to.

"Now you're gonna explain," she says. "What the fuck happened?"

Sonny groans and slowly turns over, rubbing his eyes, deep frown on his face.

"I made a mistake," he says simply. When she doesn't answer, he pops an eye open and glances at her before sighing. "Look, I offered Nina to babysit. Give her parents a break. They're getting old."

Vanessa cocks her brow.

"They're like, I dunno, fifty-five. They're not that old."

"You know what I mean!" He waves his eyes around helplessly. "I thought we could handle it instead."

She picks up the last of the toys − how many plushies do these damn kids need?! − and drops on the couch, rearranging his legs so they're on her lap.

"Well…"

"I'm a horrible babysitter," he sighs, staring at the ceiling. "I'm a mess. I get why she never asked me before. I can't handle it. I can't handle anything. Usnavi was right, nobody can trust me to do anything important!"

She looks at him. Most of the times, he looks nothing like his cousin, which suits the both of them all the better. In this instant, though, she sees a bit of Usnavi's nervous mess in him. It's cute.

"You know…" She starts, not sure how to put it. "You know, the first time Usnavi had us babysit Claudia, she shat all over my beanbag and I had to buy another one."

For a few seconds he says nothing, then snorts loudly before catching himself and pasting a hand on his mouth. He sits up, folding his legs under him, a dumb grin on his little face.

"Really?"

"Yeah! Another time, he went to the bathroom like, five seconds, and when he came back he didn't let me hold her for the next six months cause I was holding her upside down."

"Dude!" He laughs, slapping her arm. "Why'd you do that?"

"I dunno, she giggled when I did it," she shrugs. "Babies are weird."

He smiles, which turns into a yawn and a stretch.

"Wanna crash at my place?" She asks. "If Pete is going to take the bed with the kid?"

Sonny shakes his head, his motions already slurring.

"Nah, I can't let Pete deal with them waking up all on his own."

"Alright."

He breathes in, as if bracing himself for the rest of the weekend.

"I'm taking the couch, so you gotta free that seat," he says, the little brat, and she nudges him hard before standing up.

"You ungrateful nerd," she says. "You're lucky you're cute."

"So I'm told," he grins, grabbing himself a blanket. "Thanks, though. You, like, saved my life tonight."

She smiles, getting her coat.

"You owe me."

"God yeah," he says, tucking himself in, wrapped up like a burrito. "Night, V."

"Night," she replies, closing the door behind her with the spare key he gave her years ago.

She checks her phone on the ride downtown and sees three texts by Usnavi.

_do you think nina and benny are having fun at their meditation retreat?_

_wait are you busy sorry I didn't want to bother you, hope you're having fun I love you_

_I'm going to bed goodnight I love you <3_

She shoots him a goodnight text, and a good morning one for good measure that he'll also read in the morning. He likes that kind of crap and if there's something Vanessa likes, it's making him happy. He's real cute and she wants to squish his cheeks and kiss him breathless and never see him sad or worried in his life. That's why he can never know about tonight's misadventures. What Usnavi doesn't know cannot hurt him.

 


	15. Super Daddy Benny

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've just been going through my old writing files and I found this that I had not posted before despite having written it months ago, so here it is. It's cheesy af. Dad Benny.

Out of habit, Benny reaches over to the right side of the bed when he wakes up without the familiar warmth of Nina's body in his arms. Coming up empty, he remembers that she's still on her field trip with her class this week and won't be back home until Friday. He misses her already.

"Daddy," the source of his waking up insists, pulling on his arm, "Daddy, I'm hungry."

He opens his eyes, a smile already at his lips, and turns around to face his son.

"Are you?" He asks, sitting up. "I'm hungry too."

Daniel looks at him expectantly. Without warning, Benny stands up and picks him up, covering him with kisses.

"Maybe I'll eat you!"

Daniel giggles under Benny's tickling and Benny would almost be scared he'd wake the others if he wasn't sure they were most likely already up − Nina gave all of them the early owl gene, to his demise. Sure enough, he finds Claudia already busy in the kitchen, acting the incredible big sister she is.

"Whatcha making?" He asks, kissing her head and letting go of Daniel after he gesticulates like a little monkey. "I'll help you."

"Pancakes," she replies cheerfully. "And I don't need help!"

"Alright, you don't need help," he smiles, mussing up her hair. "Alma, give me a hand."

He opens the cupboard to set the table. All on his own, despite having asked. Turning around, he can't stop a fond smile. Alma is deep into Harry Potter, the fifth one, by the thickness of it. A bookworm who is hard of hearing. Just like her mommy. He pats her head to grab her attention.

"Sweetheart, help me set the table."

"Oh!"

She closes her book, carefully marking the page with a friendship bracelet Daniel made for everyone in the family, which she has used as bookmark. It's a quiet morning, early enough that he doesn't have to press everyone to get ready, and faster than that. Claudia's pancakes are delicious, if a bit burnt, and all kids help themselves to a second serving. Benny even manages to get all of them dressed with a grand total of zero meltdowns from the littler ones and with ten minutes to spare − which they spend holding an impromptu fart contest, if Nina is going to be away and not chiding him when he launches such competitions. He's allowed to be gross with his own family sometimes.

People might tease him about the family van but one thing is sure, it sure as hell is needed to cram all those kids into their own seats. He'd much rather have them not die in a traffic accident, thank you very much. He'll be a soccer dad if he has to, drive a van to fit all his angels. He's fine with that. The four older kids dropped off at school, a kiss and a hug goodbye, homemade lunch in their backpack, and then Anita at daycare. Already she's playing the part of the big girl, running away to have fun with her friends with barely a wave for her poor old daddy. He laughs about it with the carers but makes note to play with her some extra time tonight.

Work is fine. No, it's good, even. He loves his job, even now that he doesn't drive all that much anymore, spending more time in his office doing paperwork than on the roads. He's still relieved to finally get to his lunch break and be able to call his beautiful wife.

"Hey Bunny!" She greets him cheerfully before the second ring, putting a smile on his face no matter what. "How is home?"

"Perfect," he says, longing to hug her. "I miss you."

"I miss you too. Three days?"

"Three days."

Nina hasn't left instructions in her absence. She never has. She didn't marry a helpless baby, she married the future father of her children and he takes this role the most seriously he ever has, more than any job. Benny can handle his kids just as well as she can. They're his. He's got this.


End file.
